KOHAT: The National Accountability Bureau on Saturday raided the offices of tehsil municipal administration here and seized relevant record to unearth corruption in award of the contract of fruit and vegetable market in Kohat city. The NAB team also recorded the statement of the chief municipal officer, Mohammad Shoeb and some other officials.

Source said the NAB raid caused ripples among the TMA officers.

The vegetable and fruit market was to be constructed near the new bus stand on Bannu road with a cost of over Rs70 million on 65 kanals of land. However, the contractor allegedly fled to London, taking with him the traders’ money and leaving the project halfway.

It was reported that PC-1 of this mega project, having all the required facilities, was missing from the TMA office.

Sources in TMA informed Dawn that the work on the project was started on July 7, 2008, and was to be completed within one year on built operate and transfer basis.

They claimed that the contractor was also given a three months extension, but he failed to complete the project on time.

On the other hand, the traders at the old fruit and vegetable market on Hangu road don’t want to shift to the new market as according to them transporting goods to the new place would cost them hugely.

They alleged that the TMA had been forcing them to shift to the new market despite it being not complete yet. They demanded construction of new market close to the city.